Punch mechanism for punching statistical records



2,840,165 PUNCH MECHANISM'FOR PUNCHING STATISTICAL RECORDS Filed Jan; 21. 1955 A. THOMAS June 24, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lie III

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PUNCH MECHANISM FOR PUNCHING STATISTICAL RECORDS Filed Jan. 21. 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/y. 5/1. v

lnbentor 4W7 11047252145 June 24, 1958 A. THOMAS PUNCH MECHANISM FOR' PUNCHING STATISTICAL RECORDS Filed Jam 21, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I nvent or flar/MPW MA A. THOMAS June 24, 1958 PUNCH MECHANISM FOR PUNCHING STATISTICAL RECORDS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan, 21, 1955 June 24, 1958 Filed Jan. 21, 1955 A. THOMAS I PUNCH MECHANISM FOR PUNCHING STATISTICAL RECORDS 5 Sheets- Sheet 5 VAQV lnventpr United States Patent PUNCH MECHANISM FOR PUNCHING STATISTICAL RECGRDS Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,331 7 Claims priority, application Great Britain February 25, 1954 7 Claims. (Cl. 164-414) This invention relates to punch mechanism for punching statistical records such, for example, as record cards or tapes.

As is well understood'pu'nched records are employed to control the operation of various forms of machine and it is sometimes desired to efiect punching of a record to apply thereto data additional to other data already applied to the card by a previous punching operation or operations.v It is a main object of the present invention to provide means to check whether or not a perforation already exists in a record in the position thereof at which a perforation is to be made during a punching operation and to cause a signal to be given when the record is found to be imperforate in the position thereof at which a data-indicating perforation is to be formed during the punching operation.

Apparatus according to the present invention is particularly advantageous when employed in a record-com trolled machine arranged to check whether serially numbered currency notes or other documents returned for checking contain duplicates or forgeries and an embodiment of the invention will be described below-as embodied in a machine for effecting such checking operations.

According to the present invention there is provided a punch mechanism for punching statistical records, comprising a set of punches and a die supported for movement relative one to the other to effect punching of a record positioned therebetween, selectively settable punch conditioning means to cooperate with punches to render them operative for punching, a testing element operative to test a record portion during presentation thereof to a punch to determine whether said portion is imperforate or perforate prior to passage of the punch therethrough, and signal-initiating means cooperating with ,said testing element and operative to initiate a signal in response to engagement of the testing element by an imperforate record portion.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodiment thereof will now be described; by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a machine for checking currency notes,

Fig. 2 is a representation of a master card employed in the machine,

Figs. 3A and 38 together are an end elevation, in section, of apparatus for punching the master card in a selected field thereof and for checking that a position to be punched is imperforate, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views of portions of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 but with parts in different positions to illustrate the mode of operation of the apparatus.

Referring to Fig. 1, the machine comprises a first card sensing unit DCS and a second card sensing utiit MCS to which detail cards and master cards are fed' respectively. The sensing units DCS and MCS are each of the well known kind to which cards are fed one at a time from 2,846,165 Patented June 24, 1958 ICC a magazine and are sensed by the pins of a sensing pin box which, as described in United States Patent No. 2,643,056, operate to control operation of a comparing unit CU which may be as described in United States Patent No. 2,614,750. Cards issuing from the sensing unit DCS are delivered into one or other of two card receivers DR1 or DR2, arranged one in advance of the other, as determined by a master card punching and checking unit MCPC, and cards issuing from the sensing unit MCS are delivered into a card receiver DR3. Operation of the unit MCPC is controlled by the comparing unit CU and by a translator unit of the kind described in United States Patent No. 2,636,675 which latter is, in turn, controlled by the first sensing unit DCS.

The drive, not shown, for the machine is from an electric motor, by a belt through a worm reduction gear to a main shaft and the card feeding devices for the sensing units DCS and MCS, and the punching and checking unit MCPC each have a clutch independent thereto which, in known manner, is controlled by functions of the comparing unit CU.

When a batch of documents, for example, a batch of returned currency notes, are to be checked there is prepared for each document a detail record card on which is punched data representative of the serial number and the series number. A complete series of master cards, similar to that shown in Fig. 2, has been prepared, each master card being punched with the series number as at 1, Fig. 2, and the four figures of highest denomination of the serial number as at 2. The master card has a field 3 of ten columns in which each one of one hundred numbers can be recorded as indicated at the top of the card by the characters 0009; 10-19; (-99. Thus one master card is provided for each one hundred documents of a series and may be employed for checking batches of documents received for checking at different times. After punching, the detail cards are sorted and placed into a magazine for feeding to the first sensing device DCS and the master cards are placed into a magazine for feeding to the second sensing device MCS which, although shown spaced from the unit MCPC in Fig; 1, is closely adjacent to the unit MCPC so that a card in position for sensing by the unit MCS is also,'sim ultaneously, in position for checking and punching, it being understood that the sensing unit MCS operates only on the first seven columns of a master card while the unit MCPC operates on columns eight to seventeen, that is on field 3.

On starting the machine a card is fed to each of the units DCS and MCS and the unit CU will compare the data relevant to the series number and the four figures of highest denomination of the serial number as sensed from the two cards. Should this data not agree the master card is fed out of the sensing unit MCS to the delivery receiver DR3 while the detail card is retained in unit DCS. This process continues until agreement isreached between the detail card and a master card.

The sensing pins in the unit DCS for sensing the units and tens columns of the serial number are connected, as indicated by lines 4, 5, Fig. 1, with the translator unit TU which, in the manner described in the aforesaid specification No. 2,636,675, translates the two impulses into a single impulse for transmission to the set bar unit of the punch mechanism. Thus if it is assumed that agreement has been determined by the comparing unit, and the serial number on the detail card is 587,326, the digits 26 will be transmitted as two separate impulses along lines 4, 5 to the translator unit and will be transmitted from unit TU by a flexible cable 6 to the punch mechanism as a single impulse representative of 26 and will be punched in the' sensed from the detail cards.

are punched in columns four to seven and the last two figures 26 are represented by the single perforation 7 formed in the "6 position of the column 20-29, Fig. 2. When punching is effected as just described, the detail card is fed out of the sensing device DCS andis delivered into the card delivery receiver DRI if, as described below, a perforation 7 has .in fact been punched, ,or into receiver DR2. if there already existed a perforation 7 so that 'the punch merely passed inetfectively through the master card,,such an occurrence indicating that there is aduplication of serial number 587,326, this being the. example just considered. i

It will be understood that following the determination of agreement by the comparing unit CU there may follow a succession of detail cards all of, which will continue the, stateof agreement and result in the master card being punched in a plurality of positions within field 3 according to the two terminal figures of the serial numbers on sensing of a disagreement, following an agreement, by the comparing unit CS the master card will be fed out of the sensing device MCS and the process described above will be repeated.

As mentioned above, a check is made before a punch inunit 'MCPC is passed through a master card to deter- ,mine whether or not the card is imperforate in the positionthereof through which the punch is to pass. The checking and punching mechanism for performing this function will now be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5.

The field 3 of a master card MC, when the card is in the sensing and punching position thereof, is located in a punch unit formed by a die 8 and a stripper 9, Figs. 3B and supported "in known manner for relative movement towards and away from a set of puncheslt), one hundred in number and one for each data-indicating position of the'lcard field 3, to effect punching of the card in positions as determined by the translator unit TU.

, Each punch 10 has a bore extending lengthwise through it and terminating in a counterbore ll, Fig. 4, at its. head 12 which normally rests on a fixed plate 13. Within the punch is a testing pin 14 having a head 15 which is normally seated in the c ounterbore 11 as shown in Fig. 4,

The length of the testing pin 14 is such that the top of the head 15 is normally in the plane of the top of the head 12 of the punch while the lower end of the pin extends beyond the cutting end of the punch by a distance of about one-eighth of an inch.

Above the punches is a connection box comprising flat connecting members 16 thelower ends of which rest against the heads 15 of the pins 14. The upper ends of the members 16 each have a portion 17 offset from the centre line of the portion which engages a head 15 in order to increase the spacing at the upper ends of members 16. The members 16 are guided for lengthwise movement relative to the punches 10 by a fixed slotted plate 18, Figs. 33 and 5, and by a frame member 19, Figs. 38, 4 and 5, connected with rods 20 which, in turn, are

connected with the punch unit to be movable therewith.

Disposed to overlie theconnection box is a spring unit comprising pins 21 movable axially in plates 22, 23 movable with the frame member 19 and provided with springs 24 which exert a light pressure tending to urge downwards the flat connecting members 16 and the testing pins 14.

A set bar unit, of known construction, is located in fixed position above the pins 21. The set bars 25 of the set bar unit are, in known manner, set by the inner members 26 of flexible cables 6 controlled by the translator unit TU. The set bars 25 co-operate with pins 27 urged by springs 28 towards the set bars and a set bar is, in known manner, retained in the down or active positionthereof by a locking pin 29 on a laterally reciprocable latching plate 30.

It will be understood that as the card field.3 consists of ten columns there will be ten columns of punches 10,

testing pins 14, connecting members 16, pins 21,27 and set bars 25. For each column of connecting members 16 cranks are connected by a link 36 so that the bell-cranks,

latch members, and links form parallel motion systems. The latch members 31 are provided with slots 37 so that the members 31 can be moved lengthwise relative to the bell-cranks against the action of springs 38 to permit the members 31 to be moved to and from the latching positions thereof. 'The latch members 31 are provided with latch faces 39, one for each connecting member 16 of a column, and the springs 38 operate normally to retain the latch faces 39 out of alignment with latching pins 40 on the connecting members 16. Springs 41 connected with the links 36 operate to retain the latch members 31 in the up or normal positions thereof, as shown in Figs. 3B and 4, in which position the connecting links 36 abut a. stop rod 42.

Carried by the frame member 19 is a bracket 43 to which a two-armed cam follower 44 is pivoted at 45. The tail 46 of follower 44 abuts against the end of its latch member 31 and the spring 38 acts to retain the nose 47 of the follower in engagement with a vertical fixed cam 48.

Brackets 49, Fig. 5, are secured to the machine and support a rocking spindle 50 to which is secured a signalinitiating element 51 for angular movement therewith. Rocking of spindle 50 and element 51 is effected by a plate 52 also secured to spindle 50. A spring 53 connected to plate 52 urges the element 51 into normal engagement with one end of the inner member 54 of a flexible cable 55 which, in the machine described herein, is connected in known manner, with a pivoted card shutter 56 to co-operate with the detail card receiver DRZ, Fig. 1. On rocking of plate 52 by link 36, thereby to indicate that a punch has effected perforation of a card as described below, the element 51 is caused to operate member 54 and the card shutter 56 is operated to cause a card issuing from device'DCS to be delivered into receiver DRl.

Operation of-the testing and punching unit is as follows: When a set bar 25 has been set by a flexible element 6, 26 under control of the translator unit TU and locked in the active position thereof by a locking pin 29 of a latching plate 30 the punch unit with the card MC between the die 8 and stripper 9 is raised towards the set bar unit. During the initial upward movement of the punch unit imperforate data positions of the card are engaged by the testing pins 14 and pins 14 so engaged are raised relative to their punches 10 as illustrated at the left in Fig. 4. Those testing pins 14 which are aligned with perforations already formed in the card, however, pass through the card as illustrated at the right in Fig. 4. During the movement of the testing pins 14 relative to the punches the noses 47 of the cam followers 44 are moved to the positions thereof shown in Fig. 4 so that the latching members 31 are moved to the left, as viewed in Fig, 4, thus aligning the latch faces 39 with the latching pins 40. At this time those pins 40 which are carried by members 16 which have been elevated by testing pins 14 will be located above their latch faces 39 while the pins 40 on members 16 which have not been raised will be located below their faces 39 and in the spaces 57 as illustrated by the rightmost pin in Fig. 5.

It will be understood that the parallel motion system moves with the punch unit and that the upward movement of the punch unit is continuous until a punch co-operating with an active set-bar 25 has been passed through the card. Accordingly, during the continued upward movement of the punch unit a pin 21 will engage a pin 27 co-operating with a set bar 25 in the active position thereof as shown in the centre in Fig. 5 and the punch 10 co-operating with that pin 21 will be passed through the card during the further short continued upward movement of the punch unit. Engagement of the pin 21 with a pin 27 co-operating with an active set bar 25 causes the movement of the pin 21 and its member 16 to be arrested while all the'other pins 21 and members 16 continue their upward movement. Since the upward movement of the punch unit is continued after upward movement of a pin 21 and its member 16 has been arrested a downward pressure is exerted by the arrested pin 40 on the latch member 31 causing rocking of the parallel link system about pivots 34 so that the link 36 is moved to the left as shown in Fig. 5 and rocks plate 52 counterclockwise thereby to rock the signal-initiating element 51 and cause the cable 55 to effect closing of the shutter 56 thereby to permit the card issuing from the sensing device DCS to be delivered into receiver DR1.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that if no bar 25 is in the active condition thereof there will be no rocking of the parallel link system. If a pin 14 determines the presence of a perforation before its punch is passed through the card by reason of its co-ope'rating set bar 25 being in the active position thereof, the pin 40 on the member 16 co-operating therewith will be locked in its space 57 at a position as shown at the right' in Fig. 4 and there will be no rocking of the parallel link system because in such instance the member 16 co-operating with the pin 14 will not have been raised thereby relative to its punch to permit the pin 40 to be elevated above its co-operating latch face 39. Accordingly, only if a set bar is active and the testing pin 14 co-operating with the punch 10 controlled thereby determines that the card position is imperforate will a signal be initiated to cause the detail card issuing from the device DCS to be delivered to the receiver DRl, under all other conditions the shutter 56 will remain open so that a card issuing from sensing device DCS is delivered to receiver DR2 to indicate either that a duplicate detail card has been detected, or that a fault has occurred in the mechanism, or that no master card is present in the punch unit. a

It is occasionally found that as a punch 10 enters an existing perforation in a card friction between the punch and the'sides of the perforation tends to retard the movement of the punch and so cause the punch falsely to co-operate with its member 16. To overcome this condition the latch members 31 are locked in the inactive and the active, or testing, positions thereof by a locking bar 58, Figs. 3B and 5, which engages the ends of the latch members 3 opposite the ends thereof engaged by the tails 46 of the cam followers 44. The bar 58 is supported by a pair of levers 59, one at each end of the bar, pivoted at 60 to the frames 19. The levers 59 also carry pins 61 movable in guide tracks 62 in fixed plates 63, the contour of the tracks 62 being the same as that of the testing cams 48. The parallel linkage is, therefore, constrained against operation except under control of the cams 48 and tracks 62 thus ensuring that if a punch is to be passed through an existing card perforation it will be passed therethrough before movement of the parallel linkage is permitted.

It will be understood that although the signal-initiating means has been described herein as controlling operation of a card receiver shutter it may be employed to control other operations of a perforated record-controlled machine.

I claim:

1. A punch mechanism for punching statistical records, comprising a set of axially hollow punches, a set bar unit including for each punch a set bar lockable in an active position thereof to cause its co-operating punch to be moved through a record, a punch unit movable towards and away from said punches for co-operation therewith and including a die and a stripper element between which a record is locatedfor punching, a connecting member for each punch located between the 6 punch and its set bar for lengthwise movement with and relative to said punch unit, a testing pin extending through each punch, said testing pin being movable lengthwise relative to the punch and operative on 'ngagement thereof with an imperforate record portion moved by the punch unit towards the punches to effect lengthwise movement of the connecting member for the punch to an active position thereof relative to the punch, a rocking member common to all columns of. punches and for each column of punches a parallel motion system including a latch member for co-operation with the connecting mem'bers'for said column to retain in position. a connecting member moved to the active position thereof by its testing pin, a link to effect rocking of said rocking member in one direction, and bell-cranks supporting said latch member and link in parallel relation, said bell-cranks being pivotally supported for movement with said punch unit whereby movement of the punch unit relative to a connecting member in the latched active position thereof and cooperating with an active set bar eifects lengthwise movement of the link to effect rocking of said rocking member thereby to' initiate a signal indicative that a punch is passed through an imperforate portion of a record.

2. A punch mechanism according to claim 1, including afixed cam to efifect movement of the latch member to the latching position thereof, and a cam follower engaging said cam and latch member and movable with said punch unit to control movement. of the latch member.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2, including a detail record sensing device operative to sense a' Whole number represented by perforations formed in a detail record, a master record sensing device operative to sense from a master record a partial number represented by perforations formed in a master record and "which has excluded therefrom the two digits of lowest denomination, a comparing unit operative to compare a partial number sensed from a master record with that part of a number sensed from a detail record and which has excluded therefrom the two digits of lowest denomination and to control the discharge of a record from the master sensing device on determination of a disagreement, a translator unit controlled by the two columns of lowest denomination of the detail sensing device and operative to control setting of said set bars, and two record receivers arranged one in advance of the other to receive records issuing from the detail record sensing device, one of said receivers being controlled by said rocking member to cause records to be delivered to the other of the receivers when a connecting member and the set bar therefor are each in the active position thereof.

4. A mechanism for punching statistical records, comprising a set of punches and a die supported for movement relative one to the other to effect punching of a record positioned therebetween, selectively settable punch-conditioning means to co-operate with said punches to render them operative for punching, a testing element supported for movement with and relative to each punch to test if prior to the passage of a punch therethrough a record is imperforate in the position thereof through which the punch is to be passed, a detail record sensing device operative to sense a whole number represented by perforations formed in a detail record, a master record sensing device operative to sense from a master record a partial number represented by perforations formed in a master record and which has excluded therefrom the two digits of lowest denomination, a comparing unit operative to compare a partial number sensed from a master record with that part of a number sensed from a detail record and which has excluded therefrom the two digits of lowest denomination and to control the discharge of a record from the master sensing device on determination of a disagreement, a translator unit controlled by the two columns of lowest the other to receive records issuing from the detail record a sensing device, and signal-initiating means cooperating with/said punch-conditioning means and conditioned by said testing elements according as to whether they cooperate with imperforate or perforate areas of a record thereby to control delivery of detail records to said receivers.

\ 5. A punch mechanism for punching statistical records, comprising a set of axially'hollow punches arranged in columns each including a punch for each data-indicating position of a recordcolumn, a set bar unit including for each punch a set bar lockable in an active position thereof to cause its co-operating punchto be moved through V a record, a punch unit movable towards and away from said punches for co-operation therewith and including a die by which a record is supported for co-operation with said punches, a connecting member for each punch located between the punch and its set bar for lengthwise movement with and relative to said punch unit, a latching pin carried by each said connecting member, a testing pin extending through each punch for movement relative thereto on engagement withan imperforate record portion thereby to move the latching pin ofthe connecting member co-operating therewith to an active position thereof, a normally inactive latch member for each column of connecting members, said latch members being movablewith and relative to the punch unit and having a latch face and a pin accommodating opening for each latchingpin of the column whereby an active latching pin is positioned for engagement by its latch face and inactive latching pins are positioned in the pin accommodating openings appropriate thereto, means to move said latch members into position for engagement of its latch faces with'active latching pins, a normally inactive rocking member common to all columns of punches, an operating member movable under control of each latch member on co-operation of a latch face with an active latching pin during movement of the punch unit towards an active set bar thereby to effect rocking of the rocking member to initiate a signal indicative that a punch is passed through an imperforate portion of a record.

6. A mechanism according to claim 5, including a detail record sensing device operative to sense a whole number represented by perforations formed in a detail 8 record, amaster record sensing device operative to sense from -a master record a partial number represented by perforations formed in a master record and which has excluded therefrom the two digits of lowest denomination, a comparing unit operative to compare a partial number sensed from a master record with that part of a number sensed froma detail record and which has excluded therefrom the two digits of lowest denomination and to control the discharge of a record from the master sensing device on determination of a disagreement, a translator unit controlled by the two columns of lowest denomination of the detail sensing device and operative to control setting of said set bars, and two record receivers arranged one in advance of the other to receive records issuing from the detail record sensing device, one of said receivers being controlled by said rocking member to cause records to be delivered to the other of the receivers when a connecting member and the set bar therefor are each in the active position thereof.

7. A punch mechanism for punching statistical records, comprising a set of punches and a die supported for movement relative one to the otherto effect punching of a record positioned therebetween, each punch including a through bore extending lengthwise thereof and terminating in a counterbore at the head of the punch, a set bar unit including for each punch a set bar lockable in an active position thereof to cause its co-operating punch to be moved through a record,'a testing pin housed in the bore of each said punch and having a length greater than that of the punch to permit a portion of the pin normally to extend beyond the cutting end of the punch, said pin having a head normally seated in the counterbore of the punch and being movable relative to the punch on engagement of the pin with an imperforate portion of a record through which the punch is to be passed, and signal-initiating means conditioned by said testing pins according as to whether the pins co-operate with imperforate or perforate areas of a record and operable by an active set bar to initiate a signal indicative that the punch co-acting with the active set bar has passed through an imperforate portion of a record.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,712,183 Weiland et al May 7, 1929 1,879,529 Schaaf Sept. 27, 1932 2,298,416 Ritzert Oct. 13, 1942 2,625,225 Wockenfuss Jan. 13, 1953 2,647,580 Connolly Aug. 4, 1953 

